THE LEGEND

Lupa is the immortal Roman wolf goddess who trains Roman Demi gods in the ways of their city. Over seven foot tall & with beautiful
chocolate red fur, she is reputed to have eyes as silver as the mist. Remus & Romulus were the twin sons of Mars & Rhea Silvia,
who were thrown into the great Tiber river at the command of their evil great- uncle Amulius. They were saved by the great she - wolf
who nurtured & raised them as her own young. Having grown strong under her guidance, the twins destroyed Amulius &
established the city of Rome.

Lupa is a neighbourhood Osteria where one feels comfortable enjoying a casual affordable family dinner of pizza & pasta with a carafe of house wine or dining on shellfish, fresh fish & veal with corporate clients. We offer an inviting bar for a pre or post dinner cocktail or grab a pizza & a craft beer at a bar table. Pasta is homemade & pizza is wood fired using only imported Italian flour, organic free range chickens & the finest veal we can source add to the authentic Italian experience.

Restaurant Reviews

I would recommend this restaurant to anyone, who wants very good food & a pleasant atmosphere. Thank you for a great evening, the food was out of this world!

- Daniel Morrison -

You get more than you spend in this restaurant. Very nice environment, great service, friendly crew. Awesome decor, general ambiance. I had the authentic, freshly made pasta & it was superb!

I took my fiance for dinner & had a great experience at Lupa. The food came promptly & presentation of everything was excellent! The service was great & the staff were extremely knowledgeable.

- Peter Miles -

We visited last Saturday, seated by friendly staff who were quick, efficient, & on top of things. The food was out very quickly, the dinner was great & we were well looked after with a smile. We will definitely be go back soon.

- Lesedi Mkhize -

This was the first time my husband and I have visited this restaurant. Food is freshly prepared and the staff are warm and friendly. Good job guys, the menu is fabulous, keeping the food of perfect quality yet still very affordable.

- Melanie Kruger -

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Chris Black

I started working at a pizzeria called &reotti's when I was 20 as a delivery driver. A year later I was given the opportunity to buy it so I did. It was a very tough learning ground but we persevered & it worked. I then bought the Aubergine from my brother & ran that successfully for 10 years. In 2010 Guy & I opened Bellevue Cafe together & it was a smash hit from Day 1. We then opened Lupa Hillcrest in March 2013 & again it was a smash hit from Day 1. Lupa Westville opened in August 2014 & was immediately full, & has been a huge success for a year. Lupa Durban North opened in April 2015 & it too has been full since opening day. Lupa Ballito will open early 2017, Cotwolds Downs will open in February 2016.

Guy Cluver

I matriculated in 1989 from Westville Boys High school before attending the University of Durban Westville & studying Psychology. During this time I worked as a waiter at Legends Musgrave, to pay my fees & decided that the hospitality business was for me. I worked at Woodcutters Westville as a waiter & then a manager, before transferring to The Keg & Thistle & ultimately operations for Keg Franchising. I resigned when together with two partners we purchased the Kloof Station tavern in 1996 & opened Stokers Arms. This was where I first worked with Chris Black. I then owned various restaurants including News Café Silverton Road, News Café Gateway & John Dory`s gateway. In 2004 I relocated up the hill to open Butcher Boys Hillcrest & Franki Bananaz. In 2010 Chris & I identified an opportunity in Kloof & opened Bellevue Café. We has always spoken & dreamed of opening a bustling Italian restaurant & in March 2013 we realized this dream with the birth of Lupa. I have been married to my childhood sweetheart Shelley for 20 years & have two beautiful daughters, Sarah & Amy. My passion outside of work is collecting wine, triathlon, mountain biking, canoeing & running.

Leon Roux

In 1987 N&o's Chickenl& began in Johannesburg & I joined the team working closely with the pioneers in helping build the br& on the East R& & became the joint venture franchisee to Northmead, East R& Mall, Davyton & Atlas Road branches. In 1997 I became the franchisee owner of Squires Restaurant in Johannesburg. In 2001 I was recruited to assist in building the Mugg & Bean br& in Kwa-Zulu Natal which led me to move to Westville in Durban. The first Mugg & Bean operation was at the Pavilion Shopping Centre & I assisted with the opening of Gateway, Musgrave, The Vibe & Pinetown outlets. In 2008 I bought the Dulce Café Coffee Shop in Westville Hospital until 2010 when the business was sold. In 2014 Guy & Chris were looking to open up a second Lupa Osteria & I just knew this was a franchise opportunity not to be missed.

Mbongeni Hlongwane

In 1993 I matriculated from Phindulimi High School & moved to Durban in 1994 where I became a sculler at John Dory's in Kloof. I worked there for 9 years & in 2014 I joined Guy Cluver & became the Kitchen Griller at Butcher Boys in Hillcrest. I moved to better my career & became Kitchen Manager at La Montagne Hotel in Ballito as the Kitchen Manager. In 2014 I joined the Lupa Osteria family as the Lupa Westville Head Chef & Kitchen Manager. My passion is definitely food & my job at Lupa is overseeing the preparation of all the food & the general day to day running of the kitchen.

James Perryer

I have been living in Kloof since I was born & love the upper highway area. I went Westville Boys a High School & matriculated in 2006. After school I applied for a job as a waitron at John Dory's in Kloof. I was a waiter & head waiter for around 8 months before I was promoted to a junior management position. This is where I met &re Du Plessis (funnily enough I taught & trained &re how to be a waiter). I left the restaurant industry & became a car salesman at Toyota in Hillcrest & SMG BMW in Pietermaritzburg. In 2015 I joined the Keg & Trout in Hillcrest as a manager. Later that year, I was approached by &re, Guy & Chris to join the Lupa Hillcrest team as a manager. I am now a partner in what I think is, the best Italian restaurant in South Africa.

Senzi Mahlawule

I grew up in Cape Town & matriculated from Luyolo High in 2000. After school I studied business management at Varsity College. I moved to Durban & worked at Primi-Piatti as a pasta chef & kitchen manager before working at Aubergine where I met Chris Black. When Chris partnered with Guy Cluver, I moved across to Bellevue Café & worked as the pasta chef. In 2013 when Chris & Guy opened Lupa Osteria I joined their team as Kitchen Manager. My job as Kitchen Manager at Lupa entails me keeping the entire kitchen clean, looking after the food storage, co-ordinate the kitchen & most importantly controlling the pass making sure that the food comes out perfect & timeously for our customers. I am very passionate about food & people. I could not imagine working in another industry & I am grateful for the opportunity to be working at Lupa where I get to meet amazing people with different personalities.

Jono Dempster

I was educated at Durban High School & matriculated in 1997. After school I completed my Fine Art Degree, majoring in photography, something I am still very passionate about. During my studies I waitered at El Turko & El B&ido restaurant's for a couple of years. Soon after that I started bartending at "The Monkey Bar" in Florida Road, which was & is something I still enjoy. I moved onto Billy the Bums in 2001 where I held the position of Master Bartender for a couple of years until I was offered a role as part of the management team. The rest, as they say is history. I became a partner in 2006 & continued on until 2014. I have since opened & run the 3rd & newest addition to the Lupa family here in Durban North.

Andre du Plessis

In 1998, I started working with Guy Cluver at Butcher Boys as a waiter. After working there for about four months, I was envious of how much fun the barmen were having while working at Franki Bananas next door. I decided to move next door & started bartending. In 2010 when Chris Black & Guy Cluver opened Bellevue, I joined them as a manger. This is where I met Chris for the first time. In 2013 Guy & Chris approached me about opening a new Italian restaurant with them. I immediately said yes without even thinking. Italian food is in my heritage. In 2015 I was given the opportunity to become a partner of Lupa Hillcrest.

Paulo Banderia

My family & I are originally from Pretoria but we moved to Durban when I was young. I have lived in Gillits for most of my life but was a boarder at Maritzburg College in Pietermaritzburg during high school. I studied B.COM Law at TUKS for two years, came back to Durban & studied part time while coaching sports & being a waiter at Bellevue Café where I met Chris Black & Guy Cluver in 2012. After waitering for five months at Bellevue, I was offered a management position at Chris & Guy's new Italian restaurant that they were going to open in Hillcrest – Lupa Osteria. Lupa was opened in March 2013. At the end of 2014, Chris & Guy presented me the opportunity to become a partner with Jono Dempster in Lupa Durban North. We opened doors in April 2015.

Siyabonga Mthembu

I started working at Bangkok Wok in 2010. After working as a sculler for two months, I was promoted to the pass as a caller & griller & worked there for two years. In 2012 I became the Head Chef at Bangkok Wok. I joined the Lupa Hillcrest team when they opened in 2013 as a caller on the pass. I was able to prove myself to Chris & Guy & they gave me the opportunity to become the Senior Chef for the Lupa Osteria Franchise. I am responsible for making sure that the st&ard of food being cooked at served at each Lupa restaurant is of the same st&ard - every recipe is followed, the cooks are using the right ingredients & fresh produce, the presentation of food is correct & that no corners are cut. I also help train the Lupa cooks on our special dishes, new dishes when menu's change & help new staff find their feet in the kitchen. We strive for consistency at Lupa so that our customers can enjoy their favourite meal at each restaurant without tasting a difference! Life has been great to me, I am so happy in my career & grateful to be working at Lupa.